Upgrading the Canard Zone website and forums

[Jon Matcho]

Hello everyone,

 

I have been organizing my thoughts on upgrading the Canard Zone forums for quite some time now.  There are a few areas I'd like to address:

 

Needs

• Implement HTTPS in the URLs (for secure logon and interaction with the entire website).
• Increase storage capacity (the current setup is hitting the wall with file storage, and limits what can be uploaded).
• Control time and cost while increasing capabilities.

Wants

• Improve the content overall (need a place and means to publish canard-related content easily, like a "real" website as www.canardzone.com once was).
• Increase membership and engagement (single sign-on so users can use their Google, Facebook, 
• Provide new capabilities (builder blogs/sites, member plane/project gallery, member map).
• Downloadable file support (I have created and curated a lot of downloadable information over the years, as well as others, and want to make available).
• Proper Classifieds (a place where proper classified ads can be placed; a level up from the current sub-forum).

Longer Term

• Integrate/merge the Canard Zone and Quickie Builders Association (at www.quickheads.com; many members overlap and this needs to be simplified).
• Marketplace (allow the purchase of vendor products).
• Advertisements (something to offset costs, such as the current approach or placement ads from Aircraft Spruce, Wicks, etc.)

What do you think, did I miss anything?  Please feel free to share any ideas and feedback you may have.

 

Thank you kindly,

Jon

[Kent Ashton]

That all sounds pretty good Jon.  I was thinking ways to improve the search function for photos, for example, one might want to review photos posted by a particular forum member but that does not seem possible.

 

Or lets say you want to view all photos that were shown in discussions about the nose.  Searching in GALLERY for "nose" brings up a few CSA photos but it does not seem possible to find nose photos in ordinary posts.

 

BTW, review with me the status of CSA here.  I see the photos from several issues in 2015.  Is that all?  Frankly I didn't know they were here but the way they're shown with a topic beats the heck out of the CSA gallery page on ez.org which is tedious to search through and has no index or description.

[TMann]

How about an Ad-Free subscription option?

[Jon Matcho]

That all sounds pretty good Jon.  I was thinking ways to improve the search function for photos, for example, one might want to review photos posted by a particular forum member but that does not seem possible.

 

Or lets say you want to view all photos that were shown in discussions about the nose.  Searching in GALLERY for "nose" brings up a few CSA photos but it does not seem possible to find nose photos in ordinary posts.

Yes, that can work, assuming some sort of "tagging" ability. If that doesn't exist I'll figure something out, but sure, that makes good sense.

 

BTW, review with me the status of CSA here.  I see the photos from several issues in 2015.  Is that all?  Frankly I didn't know they were here but the way they're shown with a topic beats the heck out of the CSA gallery page on ez.org which is tedious to search through and has no index or description.

This is one of the areas I am struggling to keep up with. My goal was to do that for ALL issues, and I want to continue something like that going forward. The catch is that maintain what you see there is very time-intensive. Even if just once every 3 months, it requires several hours of work on my part when it happens.

 

How about an Ad-Free subscription option?

Sure, that can be done as well. The choice would be the members'.

[Jon Matcho]

I am looking to schedule time to do this, hopefully coinciding with a rainy weekend or possibly just time off from work.

 

Just a heads up... we'll need to support the site being down for 1 day.  I'll give advance notice when that is.

[TMann]

_{Looking forward to see what changes you incorporate.}

_{What's on the schedule as far as changes?}

Edited June 17, 2017 by TMann

[Jon Matcho]

_{Looking forward to see what changes you incorporate.}

_{What's on the schedule as far as changes?}

 

Thanks, same here.  This is definitely going to take me a day or two after the initial upgrade/conversion to straighten out the kinks.  I need to coordinate the upgrade with the vendor/provider of the hosting.

 

The specifics of the changes are focused towards improving the almost-good-enough features here, but adding some others.  There can/will be a paid option to remove ads, as well as an improved gallery, builder blogs, file downloads, and better information pages in general.

 

Feel free to call out anything specific, however big or small.

[Jon Matcho]

I've been dragging this on, but the update is imminent.
 
I know everyone would like to relax, sit by the fire, and snuggle up with the Canard Zone this coming holiday season, but that happens to be a great time for me to spend converting the site.  I expect a quick turnaround, but loaded with various issues as the conversion gets smoothed out.
 
I am at the mercy of the hosting provider once I officially place the request into their queue.  Here's their wording:
 

...the timeframe for such upgrade can be up to 10 business days. IPS will upgrade all active IPS products as part of this upgrade.

This upgrade will result in the loss of all custom changes such as skins, images, or other modifications. All base data, including: members, forums, topics, posts, etc. will remain intact.

I seriously doubt this is going to take more than 10 hours for their part, let alone two weeks.  My part will be a different story.

 

I expect to press the button any day now and will keep everyone posted.

 

Jon

[Barry]

Good luck and I hope it is painless...